They were woken a few hours later by a phone ringing, it was James' phone.
"Hi Robbie", he said but still sounding sleepy.
"Oh James, did I disturb your sleep? Where are you?" asking sarcastically knowing James was no longer on a lake.
"I'm at jean's, why?" in the background she was stirring.
"You were on a lake earlier".
"Yes, we were, a local fisherman brought us back, it wold be at least 2 days before the tide changes until I can get the car back".
"So you are nice and warm now?"
"Yes, I am", keeping his arm around jean. Robbie could hear a mumbling sound beside James.
"Hi Robbie".
"Oh hi jean, bye", he hung up.
"What was that about?" looking at James.
"Well when he heard your voice, he gave up teasing me, so you make a good distraction from him teasing me", as he pulled her in for a kiss.
"So where is James now?" Laura asked as Robbie hung up quickly.
"He was cold on a lake this morning with jean, now he is wrapped around her", she could not help but laugh with the way he came out with it.
His phone rang again.
"This better not be him ringing back", answering the phone.
It was Lyn.
"Oh hi there love, how are you keeping?"
"Hi dad, just looking for a chat, if you are free?"
"Yeah, go ahead, is everything ok?"
"Dad, I had a letter from aunt Thea".
This made him listen more clearly as he sat up in the chair. He did not have a pleasant experience last time they met, knowing he was with Laura.
"Oh, what did she have to say?"
"It was strange, but she would like me to move near her, so she can look after me. Dad, I know what happened last time she visited, could she be trying it again?" there was sorrow and sadness in her voice asking her dad this.
With a heavy heart he asked, "What do you want to do? I will support your decision, even if I don't like it".
Laura was beside him on the chair, listening to the conversation, she was moving away to go to the kitchen to allow him finish his conversation. She kissed Robbie on the cheek before leaving the room. Thea was Val's sister. Robbie was engrossed in his call, he did not hear Laura leave the house.
She grabbed her keys and phone and went for a walk.
She wondered through the park, down by the river and stood on the bridge where they first kissed. Staring off into the distance, not looking at anything in particular.
Looking down at the ring on her finger, asking herself 'could she deal with this', could Thea try this again.
Robbie had no connection to Thea, it was more his kids through their mother.
Robbie finished his call with Lyn, satisfied she was not going to move further away from her dad, knowing that Thea tried to come between her dad and Laura, she liked Laura, but she was grateful of her aunt's support. Robbie wondering if she visited Lyn again how would things go? No Robbie was happy with Laura, the woman he asked to marry him.
He went looking for Laura, she was not in the house, her keys were gone, but her car was still there, he rang her phone.
When she saw it was Robbie, she did not feel like talking to him just yet. He left a voice message, which she listened to, "hi pet, where did you get to? Let me know that you are ok?" she held the phone to her letting a few tears roll down her cheeks.
Next came a text message, "please don't be upset, I don't want the mention of her name to upset you, I love you" she replied, "I love you too" she would talk to him when she was ready.
About 20 minutes later she rang him.
"Robbie", sadness in her voice.
"Laura, are you ok? Where are you?"
"Yes, I am alright, I just went for a walk".
"Let me come and get you please?"
"I want to be alone for a while, I thought I better call you before you sent out a search party".
"Ok, pet, let me help you? Laura, don't shut me out?"
"I am not shutting you out, Robbie, I need to sort this on my own, and I will be back later Robbie".
"Ok, pet, talk then", he felt deflated as she did not need his help now.
She hung up feeling alone, she rang Ellen for a chat. Telling her of her feelings to the whole situation of Thea.
Ellen listened and expressed her views, 'that if Robbie had no intention of being around Thea again trust him, after all he wants to marry you and spend his life with you'. She acknowledged this and finished her call with Ellen, she rang Robbie to meet for lunch.
Half an hour later he turned up at the bridge, he stood beside her.
"Hay there, something has really upset you that you are in this spot?" bumping her side.
"Yes there is", as she took his arm leaning on his shoulder.
"Care to tell me?" as he kissed her head.
"I'm not sure how to", as she turned to face him.
"Come on", as he took her by the hand and started walking.
"When Thea last visited, I know you did not notice how she thought you and she should be an item".
"It did go unnoticed at first, when she withdrew every time you were near me, I did notice"/
"It upset me, that … .. That there was a possibility it might happen", she did not look at him.
"If I wanted that, I would have done something a long time ago".
"So you did, think about it?" as she stopped walking, wanting to run.
"No, I didn't", he still had a hold of her hand. She pulled away, walking away from him.
He ran after her, catching up with her.
"I love you Laura", as he put his arms around her.
She had her head on his chest not looking at him.
He could feel his t-shirt getting wet as she cried. He kissed her cheek moving down to her neck.
"Come on pet, let's get something to eat", she shook her head NO.
"Why not? You must be hungry?" taking out a tissue giving it to her.
She wiped her eyes and blew her nose, pushing it back into his pocket.
"Thanks", he said, she laughed at him comment, she lifted her head to look at him.
He rubbed his thumb across her cheek, leaning in to kiss her.
They got a few whistles from passers-by.
"Still have it", as they both laughed, she rested her forehead on his chest.
Leaving one arm around her shoulder they started walking.
"Don't want to make an exhibition, let's go", she walked beside him.
They went for something to eat, they ate in silence.
After they went home, he proceeded to tell her about the rest of the call with Lyn. She put a hand up to protest.
"Robbie, I am still upset about this, does she not know you are getting married? Or is she trying to take that away from me also?" she stood there, starting to cry, she passed him by and ran upstairs, slamming the bedroom door, she fell onto the bed crying.
His pyjama bottoms were on the bed, they got thrown on the floor as did his pillows.
He sat on the sofa, shocked how his life could change because of all this Thea business.
He went upstairs and knocked on the bedroom door, "Laura", there was no answer, he began to open the door, "go away", and a book came flying and hit the door. He left and went downstairs.
What could he do, he set about gathering a few things from the shed, and he took his time, quietly as possible.
At least 2 hours later, he went to check on her, she was curled up in a ball with his now recovered pillows. He knew she must be hungry.
He put his plan into action. He sent her a text, "have gone for a pint with James, won't be too late, don't wait up xxx".
This woke her, she read the text, "sod him", putting the phone down, she got up off the bed, heading to the kitchen for something to eat.
At the top of the stairs, she could make out lights which did not leave shadows the way her lamps would.
She continued downstairs. From where Robbie was standing in the garden, he could see her at the foot of the stairs.
It wasn't a lamp in the living room, it was coming from the garden.
She walked towards the garden, as music started to play, 'please forgive me' by Bryan Adams.
She could see lights, solar lights and fairy lights hung around the garden, it was a colourful display.
There was Robbie to the side with one red rose in his hand.
She moved toward him, "how did you manage all this?" as she looked around at what he had done.
"Because at times you are a heavy sleeper", taking her hand bringing her to the table set for 2 with a bottle of wine.
He handed her the rose with a kiss, she sat at the table, he picked up his phone, "yeah now", he poured some wine for the two of them and handed her a glass.
James appeared through the side gate with pizza and left.
"Dinner is served", as he put the pizza on the table, she could not help but laugh at all his romantic gestures.
"What?" as he stood looking at her.
"You, you are such a romantic sod and I wouldn't trade you for all the tea in china", taking his hand in hers.
They ate the pizza and drank some wine.
When they finished, he stood up, taking her hand to dance, she accepted.
As they danced, she looked at him.
"Yes" kissing him.
"Yes, what pet?" holding her close.
"You are forgiven", running a hand over his cheek.
"Thank you and I just want to say,
when I see you face,
there's not a thing I want to change,
cause your amazing the way you,
just the way you are, and when you smile,
the whole world stops and stares for a while,
cause girl you're amazing just the way you are", as he kissed the palm of her hand.
"Let's go to bed" as he was leading her towards the house.
"Oh you go, I'm wide awake", she was giggling at him.
"I just want to lie beside you, you in my arms", putting his arms around her waist as she was putting the wine glasses in the sink.
He locked the doors, turned off the music and proceeded to go upstairs.
In the bedroom, he left the pyjamas on the floor where Laura had thrown them earlier.
He stripped off his clothes, leaving on his boxers and got into bed.
"I hope you are not looking to get frisky Mr Lewis? I have a headache", as she took her clothes off slowly to tease him.
"Would I dare Ms Hobson? I am a gentleman, if you must know, now get your arse over here woman", as he pulled back the covers and patting the bed for her to join him.
She got in, lay beside him. They talked about what was bothering Laura, they talked well into the night before falling asleep.